Numerous efforts have been made to provide a railroad tie which would replace the long used wooden ties. An example is found in the disclosure of the U.S. Pat. No. 1,312,020 (1919) to Davis, or Robinson, U.S. Pat. No. 909,940 (1909). Wooden ties are subject to weathering or rotting, and, in places of high heat, such as steel plants or track areas where fungible loads need to be thawed before dumping, the wooden ties are soon destroyed.
The use of metal composite ties on the other hand has produced higher cost, greater weight, and the need for a nailing area which is difficult. Also, a structural tie which is too rigid is not a good substitute for a wooden tie. Another desirable feature of a railroad tie is the ability to withstand the abuse and shock of a derailment. In addition, since ties are handled manually in the building of track, it is desirable to provide a tie which can readily be moved by track hands to the trucks and from the trucks to a ground location.
The present invention is directed to a composite tie construction which provides an excellent substitute for wooden ties and which has many advantages over the traditional wooden tie.
An object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide an economical railroad tie which utilizes no wood elements and which has general weight, flexible and strength characteristics similar to the familiar wood ties but which offers a considerably longer, useful life particularly under adverse environmental conditions.
Another object is the provision of a tie structure which has the tie plates directly attached thereto so that they do not have to be nailed on or bolted on.
A further object is a composite tie to which the rails may be fastened with an operative clip device which can be readily assembled.
A yet further object is the provision of a tie which is capable of withstanding destruction by high heat or open flame such as that encountered near blast furnaces or in areas where a fungible load is being thawed preparatory to unloading or dumping.
A further object is the provision of a tie which is specifically resistant to damage by derailment and a tie which has an inherent strength by reason of the shape of the walls, the disposition of reinforcement rods, and cooperation of the elements of the assembly to provide a load distribution which resists destruction under severe usage.